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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 134 - 24/05/2004

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News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.

Railfuture News Snippets 134 - 24/05/2004



Railfuture East Anglia branch meetings for 2004 have provisionally been set for: Ipswich on 12th June, Norwich on 18th September and Cambridge on 27th November.

The Cambridge-Sudbury Rail Renewal Association's next meeting on Thursday 1st April will include a presentation by consultants Wilson Lee, who have been paid to perform a viability study for reopening the line.

A reminder that objections to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway TWA Order Application must be submitted to the TWA Orders Unit, Department for Transport, Zone 3/11, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR by 2nd April 2004. You can email: [transportandworksact at dft.gsi.gov.uk]. By week five there were 510 objections. The target set by Railfuture and CAST.IRON is 1,000. Please can every Railfuture member object urgently.

There will be an article in Paul Salveson's Root and Branch column in the 31st March edition of RAIL magazine saying that the St.Ives line should be kept as a railway.


RAIL FRANCHISES
National Express announces management line-up for Greater Anglia franchise

On 22nd March 2004 National Express announced its full management team for the new Greater Anglia franchise. The two signficant appointments are Mark Phillips who joins from Network Rail Eastern region, and FGE's Theo Steel who will become projects director to oversee major projects such as the improvement the performance and organisation of Liverpool Street Station.

Office of Fair Trading consults stakeholders on National Express takeover of franchise

OFT is currently investigating the Acquisition by National Express Group of the Greater [East] Anglia Rail Franchise relating to the possible competitive effects of the merger, and it has contacted stakeholders and rail user groups, including the Railfuture branch, to consider:
* How do coach and bus services currently compete, complement and integrate with rail?
* On which specific services/routes, would NEG as franchisee have a significant positive or negative effect on passengers?
* Will NEG as franchise affect the likelihood of new entry by competing operators?

National Express is second TOC to challenge GNER

Keywords: [GNER]

Following on from First's announcement, Naitonal Express has also confirmed that it will be bidding to wrest the East Coast Main Line inter-city franchise away from GNER.


ST.IVES LINE
Guided busway objectors criticise scheme for impact on nature reserve near Swavesey

On Tuesday 9th March a meeting was held in Swavesey by newly founded "Save The Lakes" campaign group to oppose the 12-metre wide concreting over of the railway line and running of buses, as it would make it sterile between perimiter fences. This would, they claim, have a major negative effect on the surrounding area, as would the construction vehicles and land-take to construct the busway. An item appeared on BBC Look East later that evening.

A group in Histon, Residents Against Guided Bus (RAGBUS) has set-up an excellent angi-guided bus website too. It contains information about other guided bus systems.

Could Laing Rail Projects Ltd's interest in Luton-Dunstable be replicated in Cambridge-St.Ives?

Keywords: [LutonDunstableBusway]

Laing Rail Projects Ltd have submitted a proposal to reopen the Luton-Dunstable rail corridor to a passenger rail service, which they would build and operate. They envisage getting off the gorund with a bubble-car service, and expect the cost of the railway to be less than the £36m previously quoted, and certainly less than the £86m for busway. Could Laing also be interested in re-constructing - and operating trains on - the Cambridge to St.Ives line if (when) the guided busway scheme is abandoned?

On Thursday 4th March a referendum on the Trasnslink guided busway, which Luton Borough Council is still trying to salvage, was held in Houghton Regis. There was a 10:1 vote against the busway.

CAST.IRON continues publicity drive to encourage objections to guided busway application

Keywords: [CASTIRON]

CAST.IRON held an exhibition on the up platform on Huntingdon station on Friday 12th March, during which 240 petition signatures were collected, and CAST.IRON will be returning to Cambridge staion platform on Friday 26th March. There have also been two exhibitions in the Free Church in St.Ives on Friday 5th March and Monday 21st March, plus an exhibtion on the 'dance floor' in the Grafton Centre in Cambridge on 18th March. There was also a week-long exhibition in St.Ives library. CAST.IRON now has over 2,000 signatures on its petition objecting to the guided busway, which is more than the number who reluctantly supported 'rapid transit' in 2003's consultation.

CAST.IRON has delivered over 15,000 copies of its leaflets to homes during March. Its chairman, Tim Phillips, is hoping to be given three minutes to speak to Cambrdgeshire county councillors before they take a vote on Tuesday 30th March on whether to continue with their TWA application.

St.Ives Town council unanimously votes to object to the guided busway plan

On 17th March St.Ives Town council voted uinanimously to lodge an official objection to the guided busway on both environmental grounds and worries about the loss of bus services that currently serve villages such as Fenstanton. Also, Longstanton Parish council has voted to object, and Histon/Impington parish councils are very likely to do so.


STATIONS
Upgraded and enlarged car parks at Fen Line stations

A grand opening of Littleport's new car park was performed in March by East of England MEP Robert Sturdy. There are spaces for up to 40 cars plus bays for disabled drivers close to a new access ramp. CCTV has also been installed.

There will be a similar grand opening for Downham Market station's new car park in May. Work has begun on expanding Waterbeach car park, following approval - at long last - by the Environment Agency.

Cost of Chesterton Interchange station continues to rise

Keywords: [CambridgeNorthStation]

The estimated cost of opening Chesterton Interchange station in north Cambridge is now £20m, up from the last estimate of £18m. It would not open until at least 2009, two years after Cambridgeshire County Council's proposed guided bus would integrate with it. The Rail Passengers Committee for Eastern England has called for Chesterton Interchange to be made a prerequisite for building the busway.

Second "unwanted and unnecessary" refreshment outlet at Huntingdon abandoned permission

LA Golden Bean had planned to open a coffee kiosk on the London-bound platform at Huntingdon Station, in competition with the privately-run buffet. However, this will not now happen. Permission was refused as the design, size, materials and siting of the kiosk would harm the historic and architectural character of the station building.


RAIL SERVICES
No more Central Trains to Great Yarmouth

Keywords: [CentralTrains]

It is now confirmed, following rumours, that Central Trains will not be operating direct trains to Great Yarmouth in 2004.


RAIL COMPANIES
National Express announce turnover and profit for 2003

National Express made £134m of profit in 2003, of which £32m was from rail. Almost all rail profits were made from Midland Mainline [£12.4m] and Gatwick Express/London Lines (c2c, Silverlink, WAGN) [£20m]. It expects to sign a two-year extension to Silverlink meaning that all its franchises last until at least 2006.

In East Anglia, one of the best performing parts is Stansted Express, which saw a passenger increase of 17%.

GB Railways management takes over First Group

Keywords: [GBRailways]

Jeremy Long of GB Railways, the wholly owned subsidiary of First, is taking charge of their rail operations.


PRESERVED RAILWAYS
North Norfolk Railway promotes share purchasing for Operation Phoenix

Keywords: [NorthNorfolkRailway]

The North Norfolk Railway is encouraging existing shareholders to buy more shares - miniimum of £50 - and for the public to invest in shares too - minimum £250 - in order to fund its future plans, which are code named Operation Phoenix.

The NNR has an arrangement with insurance company Heath Lambert, who have launched North Norfolk Railway insurance. Anyone taking out household, travel or motor insurance with them ensures that a small proportion of their premiums is paid to the railway. Details from HLAP, 60 St faith's Lane, Norwich, NR1 1JT, or telephone 01603 828328.


WEBSITES
Christian Wolmar has his own website

Journalist Christian Wolmar, who gave a presentation to the Railfuture East Anglia branch in February 2003, now has his own website: http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk. This contains all of his articles in RAIL magazine in recent years.

Rail consultancy specialising in rail revenue has new website

There is new transport forum website set up by Transport Investigations Ltd of Huntingdon, a consultancy company heavily involved in Rail Revenue matters, where the forum might catch the eye of Senior Rail Management staff. See: http://www.trainviews.net.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 134 - 24/05/2004

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